All's Well That Ends Dead
by Absolute Jenn
Summary: She was always the normal one. That's what everyone said, especailly after Tate's death. But she was never "normal". What Langdon is? She's been gone from Murder House for a long time, but she's tired of running from her past. It's time to come home. V/T
1. Chapter 1

Here goes a short little story where I explore a hypothetical reason for Tate's mental break as well as create a character for one of the unrevealed characters in AHS. Please review!

-Jenn

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><p><strong>All's Well That Ends Dead<strong>

"And here we are! Murder House!" Yelled the tour guide with overrated enthusiasm. One woman listened with particularly close attention as the guide rambled on about all of the terrible things that had occurred in the house. As he was sitting down, she stood.

"Hold on just one moment, please, I need to get off." She said, unlatching the little door that kept small children from rolling out of the open car.

"Again?" Yelled the man, grabbing her arm, "Listen, lady, this is not a public bus. Where are you wanting to go anyway?"

She smiled and looked up at the big house, "I'm going to the Murder House. I used to live here."

He let her go, recoiling, remembering the red haired woman and her stout companion. She went on her way, walking slowly up the path way, waving at Moira who was watching from an upstairs window. The old woman waved back with a tentative smile, as if she was unsure the girl was real.

Moira met her at the door though, throwing her arms around her, disrupting the blond curls that fell from the young woman's head, "Kate, my sweet girl, it really is you!"

The girl laughed, "Yes, it's me. How have you been, old friend?"

"Well I'd be better if Constance would leave me be, but I've been alright." Her voice got softer, "Mother died this year."

"Oh, Moira, I'm so sorry." Kate said, "Are you sure you're alright?"

Moira nodded, "I did it myself, on Halloween."

Kate put a comforting smile on, an expression that never could quite come across her own mother's face, "She's in a better place."

The old woman flickered, becoming young again, "That's the truth, at least she's not stuck in this house." The ghost and young woman laughed together, catching the attention of Vivian Harmon.

The instant the red haired woman exited the kitchen and came to them, Moira was old again. "Moira, who is this?"

Moira smiled, her milky eye looking at their guest, "This is Kate, she was born in this house, and I helped raise her." She kissed the woman's temple, "Our Kate, finally come home."

Kate held a hand out to Vivian, "Katherine Thomas, you must be Vivian Harmon, it's a pleasure to meet you." She looked around at the house, "You've done some work on the house, it looks nice."

Vivian approached the woman cautiously, but took her hand anyway. "So, you lived here?"

Kate nodded, "Yeah, like Moira said, I was born here. My family and I lived here until I was seventeen." She grinned, "I'm thirty two now. It's really crazy to be back here. I haven't visited in so long, but..." Kate looked at Moira excitedly, "The hubby and I are moving back to L.A.!"

Moira embraced the woman again, whispering in her ear, "They will be so glad to see you again."

Kate pulled away, "I wish I could say I was here just on a personal visit, but I have some business to discuss with Mr. Harmon. Is he in?"

Vivian shook her head, "No, but he should be here soon. May I ask what you want to talk to him about?"

"Of course!" Kate exclaimed, "You're his wife, nothing that I have to discuss with him should be hidden from you. I know from personal experience that a marriage is only successful if there aren't any secrets. For example, my husband knew before we were married that my son is the product of rape."

Vivian put a hand on her stomach, "Oh, I'm sorry."

Kate shrugged, "Don't be, he's the light of my life. Children should never be punished for their parent's indiscretions. I don't ever take out what his father did on my son. Anyway, I need to talk to Mr. Harmon about Tate."

"Tate Langdon?" Vivian asked, shivering at his name.

"Yes, I'm his sister. I need to talk to Mr. Harmon in person about his progress." She looked absently at Moira, "Moira, where is Tate, anyway?"

The old woman glanced pointedly up the stairs before lying for Vivian's benefit, "He has a session with Dr. Harmon at three, so he should be here any minute."

"Awesome, it will be fantastic to see him again. I feel bad for not visiting." Kate said, looking back at Vivian, "Do you mind it I wait in his office for them?"

Vivian shook her head, "No, go right ahead. I guess you already know where it is."

"The study, correct?" Kate asked, receiving a nod in conformation.

"Katherine..." Vivian began.

"Please, call me Kate." Kate said, interrupting her.

Vivian forced a smile, "Kate, then. That's sort of funny, Tate and Kate." She said, trying to dispel the tension in her chest with a little laugh. Kate just looked at her expectantly so she cleared her throat, "When you lived here, did you ever...see things in the house? Things that weren't really there." She asked in a halting manner.

Moira disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Kate to answer the nervous question on her own, "Houses like this...how do I say this...they have character. Sometimes it's just best to remind yourself of what's reality, and ignore the rest. Don't worry, Vivian," She whispered as she walked past the redhead, "They can only hurt you if you think they can. Just a bit of advice: You're alive, and they aren't."

She waited in the office, looking at all of the Harmon's things. "Vivian said you wanted to talk about Tate?"

Kate turned around and looked at Ben, "Yes, I'm Kate, we've spoken on the phone."

"I've spoken to Tate's mother." He said, wondering if she was another crazy person attracted to the house.

"Actually, you've been speaking to me. I didn't figure you would take Tate as a patient if you knew our parents weren't involved. I apologize for deceiving you." She said plainly, her attention instantly diverted upon hearing the creaky floorboard in the hall sound.

"Dr. Harmon, I think..." Tate was saying as he entered the office, until he saw her.

He ran to her, like a small child, "Katie!" He picked her up and spun her around, crushing her to him, "You're here! I just thought Moira was messing with me!"

Kate's smile was wide, "I came to check up on your progress with the good doctor here, and to tell you that I'm moving back to L.A. I'll be able to visit you more often now."

Tate crushed her back to him, whispering into her blond curls, "I missed you so much, and I have so much to tell you."

"That's what I'm here for, brother." She said, equally as quiet. "You look good." She said honestly, pulling him away to get a better look at him. "Want me to cut your hair?"

Tate began scowling, and Ben was anticipating an outburst of rage from him. Tate surprised him though by punching the woman softly in the arm, "Keep your hands off my hair, you freak."

She laughed, and ruffled his hair playfully, "You know I'm just messing, Tate. You're hair looks nice the way it is." She lifted up her own blond locks, which Ben was startled to realize was identical to Tate's, "Mine on the other hand should be cut. Collin needs a trim too."

Tate suddenly looked serious, "How is he? Collin, is he okay?" Ben felt like there was more to what Tate was saying.

"He's wonderful, Tate." She said, as if trying to comfort him, "Collin is just like any other sixteen year old, moody and irrational, but still my little boy. I got lucky, he's a good kid." Ben was stunned to hear that the young woman in front of him had a son around Violet's age, she looked so young, not to mention that she was stunningly beautiful.

She took a phone out of her pocket, "Speak of the little brat." She looked at Ben, "I'm sorry for taking up your time, I'll let you and Tate have your session, but could I come by and talk tomorrow? Alone." The last word was directed to Tate who looked disappointed.

Ben nodded, "Of course, same time?"

Kate pulled out a datebook and pen, scribbling the appointment down. "Three? Sounds great, I'll have to bring my son though, but he shouldn't be any trouble." She giggled, "I'll just stick him in a corner with his headphones in and he'll be happy as a clam. You know how teenagers are." She said, kissing Tate's temple.

"He has a daughter, Kate, her name is Violet." Tate said, in a voice not dissimilar to how a small child would interject into a conversation between adults.

"What a lovely name." Kate said softly, pulling away from her brother, "I'll see you after your session, won't I, Tate?" She said sternly, handing him a paper with her address.

Tate watched her leave with apt attention, his eyes watching as she pulled out her phone again on the front porch. "Goodbye, Kate." He said under his breath. "She's changed." He said louder, partially to Ben, and partially in amazement to himself.

"Do you want to talk about her?" Ben said, turning on his tape recorder.

Tate just continued to watch her, "She's pretty, don't you think so? Kate was always pretty. She looks like our mother. She's gotten older." There was a sense of hollowness in Tate's voice. "She's left me behind."

Ben assumed that Kate had been a big part of Tate's childhood. "That's how families are, Tate. The older children grow up and move away, nothing ever stays the same."

Tate was too tired to dispute what Ben was saying. Kate wasn't just his sister, she was beautiful, fragile, and his twin. His twin, Katherine Constance Langdon, however kind and docile in appearance, was also his murderer. And he couldn't love her more.

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><p>LIKE IT? REVIEW!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Wow! I'm so happy everyone seems interested in my story! This chapter is a little longer, but has some little flashback moments I tried to structure like the show... It's not easy, and I'm hoping I managed to make it alright. At the very least I hope it makes sense. P.M. me if you have questions! Running short on time, but hope you guys like this chapter too!

Let me know what you think!

-Jenn

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><p>Kate returned to her new home feeling shaken. Seeing Tate had taken a lot out of her, he had reminded her of things she wanted only to forget. She went to her son's new room after dropping her purse on the kitchen table. "Collin, I'm home."<p>

The boy looked up with a smile that quickly faded when he saw her weak expression. He put down the roller he had been painting his bedroom walls black with, and embraced his mother, "Hey, Mom, are you alright?" She nodded into his shoulder, trying not to remember how much he looked like Tate. "You went and saw Uncle Tate, didn't you? You're always sad when you see him."

Kate sighed, "I wish you weren't painting your room black."

The teenager grinned, releasing his mother to grab the can of paint, his blonde curls bouncing like a child's, "I'm not. Look what Brian found!"

Kate peered at the can her husband had apparently discovered. "Magnetic paint? Okay, I'm impressed. Where did Brian find this stuff?"

Collin shrugged, "The paint store? Come on, you can help. I need to get my room painted tonight so it can start drying. I want to be able to paint over it before you make me go to school."

"Gee, Collin, don't sound so excited about school." She muttered, causing him to laugh.

"It's not that there's anything wrong with school, it's just 'the school'. I don't know, seems kind of weird to me to have to go to school where my mother was raped and I was conceived." He said frankly, handing a paint roller to his mother.

Kate didn't really know what to say about that. He was so much like Tate, and sometimes, it scared her. "Collin..." She began before deciding just to be like any other 'normal' parent and ignore the problem. "What are you going to paint on your walls?"

Collin just smiled and shook his head before looking at the wall his door was on, "I'm going to paint a tree over there, on the opposite wall I'm going to paint the Hogwarts coat of arms." He gestured to the wall that faced the front of the house and had a window in the center, "I'm going to put my bed against that wall, and hang my posters and pictures on it."

Kate looked at him sternly. "Are you going to keep it black?"

"No, Brian bought this really sweet forest green. That's going to be my base color." He answered, trying to sooth his mother.

"What about the last wall?" Kate asked.

Collin sighed, "I haven't decided yet. I might just keep my sketches on it with little magnets or something."

"I'm going to spend a fortune on magnets, aren't I?" Kate said with an exaggerated sigh.

"I plan on stealing them from school." Collin countered simply.

"No, Collin, no more stealing. I don't want to go through what happened at your last school." Kate snapped.

"Relax, Mom, I was just kidding. I'm going to get a job. I'll pay for it all by myself." He kissed her temple, just as she had Tate's. "You've done enough for me." They heard the back door close. "Brian's home with pizza!" Collin yelled, running from his room.

When Kate entered the kitchen, still filled with boxes, Collin was trying to wrestle the pizza box from his step father. Brian had been married to Kate since Collin was ten so the two acted just like any other father and son. "Come on Collin, reach a little higher!"

The boy jumped up and snatched the box away, only to find it empty, "Dude, where's the pizza? I'm starving."

Brian was doubled over in laughter at his stepson's disappointment. "It's...in the oven."

After the pizza was retrieved and consumed, Kate picked up her purse again, "I'll be back later. I'm going to go see Tate and Beau."

"Can I come?" Collin asked, jumping up. Kate shook her head, Collin had enough problems with ghosts without going into that house.

Brian, ever the stable one, slung an arm over the teen's shoulders, "Let her visit her brothers on her own. I hooked up the Xbox this morning, and I think we have a tie that needs to be broken, right?"

Collin grinned, "You're going down, old man."

"Don't count on it!" Brian yelled after him. He then hugged his wife, "I know I don't really have to say it, but be careful."

"I will." She said, heading to the door. "I love you."

Brian smiled, "I love you too, Kate."

When she got to her old home she noticed lights were still on, both inside and in the house next door. She hurried to the gate, but was stopped by a questioning voice, "Katherine? Is that you?"

"I'm here to see Tate not you." Kate growled.

"Now is that anyway to speak to your mother?" Constance asked. Kate tried to keep going, but Constance grabbed her arm, "Let me look at you." She examined her daughter's face in the soft light. "You are still so beautiful."

"Let me go. You have no right to speak to me. I thought I made that clear fifteen years ago when I walked out that door."

Constance looked taken aback by her daughter's words, "Katherine, please, can't we be past these things? You were a child. I was trying to be a good parent."

Kate laughed, "You? A good parent? I'll rue the day someone who knows everything you've done calls you a good parent. If you're such a good parent, where's Addy? Locked in the mirror room again? Do you enjoy terrifying her?"

"Kate, no." She turned to see Tate standing on the other side of the iron gate, shaking his head, looking at her sadly, "Addy's not with us anymore."

Kate pulled herself from her mother's frozen grip and stood in front of her brother, "What? Tate, what do you mean? Where's Addy? This isn't funny."

He put a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her, "She got hit by a car on Halloween." He said softly.

Kate smiled, trying to keep her hope alive, "Oh, okay, what hospital is she in? I'll go take her flowers, she'd like that, wouldn't she? Do you know wha..."

"Kate, no." Tate said, cutting her off, "She's dead. She didn't die on the grounds." He held his sister as she dissolved into tears. He remembered the last time he had stood next to the gate and held her as she cried.

It had been nineteen ninety three, Homecoming night. Kyle Greenwell had taken her. Tate hadn't trusted the boy. Kyle had always been cruel to both of them, so had most of the students at Westfield. But having a date had made Kate so happy. He still regretted not following them, for not being there to protect his sister when she was used for a cruel game in the high school library.

Everyone he had killed had been there, had watched Kyle rape Kate and not stopped him. Tate wasn't stupid and he wasn't naive. He remembered what he had done, he remembered how he died. It was just easier to pretend he didn't know than to confront what had occurred:

"I thought he really liked me!" Kate had sobbed. Tate had been so full of anger, he wanted to go kill them all right then, but she needed him right where he was.

"I like you, Katie." He had whispered to her. "Don't cry." He had felt so helpless.

"I wish I hadn't written that article in the news paper. They all think I'm crazy, but I'm not! The ghost are real!" She had looked up at him helplessly with her big hazel eyes, echoing how he felt, "You see them too, don't you, Tate?"

"Yes! I know you aren't crazy, Kate, and that's all that matters." Tate had said, and that had calmed her down. He had always been able to keep Kate calm. He had to, otherwise their mother would hurt her like she ended up hurting the others.

Kids talked about her at school, all the time, and it made Tate angry. But no one had known that he was Kate's twin, they hadn't even known they were related. They didn't care. All his sister was to them was a stupid little nut job who got what was coming to her. She was a joke, and a scandal because she got pregnant. Nothing was blamed on Kyle Greenwell or his cohorts, but everything was blamed on Kate.

When she had told him and their mother that she was pregnant. Constance had rejected her, "You're a dirty little slut. I should have thrown you out with your whore father. You're getting rid of it. The last thing I need is another little freak in this house."

Kate had shut down, and for months, she moved through the house just like the ghosts that resided along side her. Tate had spent many nights holding Kate's wrists to keep Nora had become obsessed with Kate, always keeping Constance at bay, and after Collin was born, Nora had taken the child in as her own. Nora had been happy to have him, and for a while, Kate had been relieved. She hadn't been ready to deal with him.

At least until Constance had expressed her opinions. "You're weak, can't even face your own child. Look at you and the rest of your mumbling herd. I didn't want you, but I kept you, I raised you, I made sure there was food on the table! Make something of yourself, or for God's sake, die trying."

That was a difference between them; someone hurt Kate, and she got depressed before making them pay. Tate was the opposite. Kate took their mother's words to heart. She named her son Collin, spent weeks fending off an obsessive Nora and taking care of Collin herself. Tate thought that she was better, that life was going back to normal.

But the day she was supposed to go back to school, Tate had caught her as she was walking out of the house, the mask in her hands and a gun in her bag. Tate made his choice, and a lawn ornament and cracked it into his sister's skull. She had crumpled like a little marionette, her backpack falling from her hands.

Kate had a son she needed to raise, a future she needed to protect. He couldn't let her throw her life away. He carried Kate to the attic, telling Beau to watch her before he left to take his revenge on the people who had hurt their sister. The students of Westfield High School hadn't known what was coming for them. Tate had donned her mask, taken her gun, and walked into Westfield with a new sense of confidence.

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><p>PLEASE REVIEW!<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry for the lag! It was Hell week at school last week, and I had very little time to write! I'll have loads of time to write for the next few weeks, so that's good, right? Hope you enjoy this chapter!

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><p>Kate wiped her eyes and took Tate's hand before looking at their mother with empty eyes, "So I'm the only one you haven't managed to get killed. How does that feel, Constance? Are you proud that we're finally all out of your hair? Congratulations, you've gotten what you always wanted."<p>

As much as Tate hated to admit it, Kate was a lot like their mother, and her biting words were no exception. She had often proven to have a very sharp tongue. Constance didn't reply, she just stood motionless, watching as her only living child walked to the backyard of the Murder House.

At sometime during their conversation, the lights in the house had gone out, leaving only a single light in the backyard, illuminating a gazebo. "A gazebo?" Kate asked, staring at the thing, "When did that get put there? Has it really been that long since I've visited?"

Tate sat down on the ground, pulling her down with him, "Three years, but who's counting?"

Kate smiled, "Sarcasm will get you nowhere, Tate."

Together they chorused, "But wit will get you everywhere." It was a phrase from one of Constance's many boyfriends. He had lasted longer than most, long enough to teach the twins how to shoot a gun, how to play baseball, and, most unusually, for them to remember his name, Vincent Parker.

He had met the same fate as most of the men though, Constance had found some imperfection, and he had been sent packing. Or so they had been told, but he had never shown himself to either of them over the years, so it was safe to assume that he had moved on in his life, was married with a wife and three kids. He had been that kind of guy, and maybe that was why Constance had gotten rid of him. Because he saw that her children needed a father, someone who didn't care how deformed and strange they were, but saw them for what they all were, children.

Of all of her boyfriends, Kate and Tate knew that Vince was the only one that Constance had ever feared. That was probably why Kate had made Collin's middle name Vincent.

Tate laughed heartily, setting aside the painful memories and deciding to remember good memories, putting his back against his sister's so they could lean their heads back on the other's shoulder. As children, they had set for hours like that, looking up at the stars on clear nights, and watching the dark misty clouds highlighted by moonlight. "I miss Vince. He was a nice one." He said softly.

"Yeah." Kate sighed, looking up at the stars like they always had, usually with Addy curled up so that Kate could stroke her hair. She still hadn't comprehended that her older sister was dead, and a small part of her regretted being so harsh to her mother. "So how pissed is Moira about the gazebo?" She asked Tate with a grin, not wanting to talk about why she hadn't visited for so long.

Tate laughed, "She refuse to clean the house for three days. I thought she was going to kill Dr. Harmon. That would have been funny."

Kate stiffened, "That's not funny, Tate. Death is never funny, especially not in this house. You know that, don't you?"

Tate looked forlorn, "You used to think it was. When did that change?"

"I grew up, Tate. I have a son, and he needs me." Kate didn't want to have this conversation, not while she was so weak, but it had to be said. Tate had to understand that she wasn't seventeen anymore.

"What's he like?" Tate asked.

"Collin?" He nodded, and Kate shrugged, "Like any normal kid, I guess. He's artistic, like our mother, but he reminds me of you a lot. He likes to play jokes and adores Brian..."

"Brian's your husband?"

"Yes, Tate. Brian is my husband. We got married right after I visited here last time. I love him." She said sternly.

"I thought you said he was a tool?" Kate shot her brother a dark look. "What? You said it!"

"I was seventeen and I'd just...you know...I was messed up. He's been there for me when no one else was." She said, "I need him, Tate, he centers me. He's normal, he's the only father Collin has ever known, and he believes me, about the house that is."

Tate huffed a little, remembering the first time she had mentioned Brian. She had just come home from the place they had sent her after she had killed him. Kate had been holding onto Collin like he was the only thing left in the world. "How did you get out?" Tate had asked her.

"I got one of the doctors to believe me." She had said, leaning against him, rocking Collin in her arms.

"They didn't believe I even had a son. They told me he was a delusion. Brian believed me."  
>She had missed four months with him, and was intent on getting to know everything she could about her son. He had their hair, short blond curls that felt like down, and since she had last seen him, his eyes had shifted closer to their hazel color. There was very little about Collin that looked like Kyle Greenwell unless you were looking at them both at the same time. And thanks to Tate, that was an impossibility.<p>

"Did you sleep with him?" Tate had blurted out even though he had known that she wasn't like their mother in that way.

Kate had looked at him, aghast, "I'm not a whore, Tate. I wouldn't sleep with someone to get out of a mental hospital. Even suggesting such a thing would probably have kept me in there. I-"

She had clamped her mouth shut. "What did you do, Kate?"

The twins could never could say no to each other, and Tate being dead was no exception, "I had him do research, and he came here. He saw Moira, both ways. She showed him Collin. He managed to convince his superiors that I wasn't crazy but it was just a postpartum hormone imbalance. I'm in outpatient therapy now, for-"

"Killing me?" Tate had finished, and his frankness had caused Kate to flinch.

"I don't know what I was thinking, Tate. I was just so worried that they would hurt you, that they'd hit me or Collin, that you'd spend the rest of your life in prison for me, and I just...pulled the trigger. I'm so sorry." She said, her voice thin, tears welling in her eyes.

"It's okay, Kate. I'm happy you did. I can stay, and take care of Beau now." Tate said.

"I still can't believe she had Larry kill him. How cruel can one person be?"

"She's the crazy one, Kate. Not us." Tate said, trying to assure her.

It didn't work. She had spent he last week at home avoiding talking about what had happened. "Why did you do it, Tate? Why did you kill them? You never answered my question that day."

Tate was stunned by her question, just as he had been the day he had died. "That's what you were going to do, wasn't it? You were going to kill them, weren't you?"

Kate had started crying, "I was just going to confront Kyle when he was at football practice! I wasn't going to kill him! I wasn't going to kill any of them. I just wanted him to admit what he did to me! I wanted him to take responsibility for Collin!"

Back in the back yard, Kate sighed as she stood, breaking up the silence as well as Tate's thoughts, "I need to see Beau before I head home. Can I get to him without alarming the Harmon's?"

"You should be able to..." He paused, looking at her with a sly smile, "Just hold on!"

Tate grabbed Kate, picking her up off her feet, surprised by how light she felt. He'd have thought she would weigh more than she did as a teenager. When he thought about it, she looked awfully thin for an adult, but he didn't want to think about it, he just wanted to take her to see Beau. It was what she wanted. He would do anything she wanted him to do.

Kate suppressed the urge to scream like small child as Tate ran through the house, and even with her weight, his ghostly body made no noise on the floor. He took her to the basement. "Tate, since when is Beau in the basement?"

Tate laughed, "I've been working with him. He comes down here and Violet plays with him." He kissed the side of Kate's head, "I'm going to go do something, I'll be right back. Beau should come down here if you call his name."

She arched an eyebrow at him, "Tate, all ghosts come to me when I call."

"I know that, Kate." Tate said mockingly, sticking out his tongue. "But not everyone can be Evolved like you are."

"Whatever, didn't you have something you needed to do?" She groused.

He vanished, leaving Kate alone in the house for the first time. "Beau?" She said several times before a red ball hit the side of her shoe. She sat down, facing the shadows the ball had come from and rolling the ball back to him, "Beau, will you come out? Or are you feeling shy today? I've missed you."

The ball went back and forth between siblings several times before the screaming started. The switch flipped in Kate's mind and she stood up, holding out a hand to Beau, "Stay here, Beau."

She ran up to the first floor, but the screams were coming from the second floor. By the top of the stairs, Kate's weakened body was revolting. "Damn." She said to herself, "These stairs are steeper than I remem-" She had come to the master bedroom to find a man in a rubber suit on top of a screaming Vivian Harmon. A brown haired young woman was standing by the door with Nora, both of them egging the man in the suit on and taunting Vivian.

Kate knew the suit, Moira had called her when Chad and Patrick had been killed by Tate, and she knew exactly who was in it too. She didn't know what was going on, but she was determined to stop it. Anger nearly overtook her.

She reached forward and grabbed Nora by the back of the throat, "Did you miss me?" Having learned from her life in the house, Kate was prepared to deal with Nora as the man in the suit ran out of the bedroom. She slipped her gun out of her back waistband and shoved the muzzle in the ghost's mouth. "We'll talk later."

Kate pulled the trigger.

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><p>Intrigued? Confused? I'm a week behind on episodes, but I've read the Wikipedia summary so I'm going to try to incorporate some ideas from Smoldering Children into the next chapter! (I'll get to watch episode ten Wednesday though!)<p>

If you have anyquestions or comments just let me know! Have a wonderful week!

-Jenn


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry for the wait! Thank you guys so much for your reviews! They mean a lot! I hope you enjoy this chapter! We get to see a little more of Collin. Next chapter will be out soonish.

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><p>Kate held out her hands in a placating manner, "Vivian, I need you to listen to the sound of my voice. I know you're scared, but you have to listen to me. Nora is a ghost. I did not just kill a woman. I sent her away. She'll only be gone for a little while, but it buys us time. You can't stay in this house."<p>

"How did you get in here?" Vivian said in a shaky voice.

"That doesn't matter, Vivian, what matters is you need a place to stay, and I mean tonight. Is there anyone nearby you can stay with?" Kate said. Vivian shook her head, and Kate held out a hand, "Then you'll stay at my house tonight."

Vivian took her hand and the two woman went slowly down the stairs. Kate was startled by the man who walked out the front door in a uniform. He pulled out a gun, "Mrs. Harmon, is this the intruder?"

Vivian shook her head no, clinging to Kate. She was too terrified to say anything, and Kate knew the feeling, "No, I was here earlier today and left my wallet. It was still fairly early so I just thought I could pick it up, but when I got here, the front door was ajar. I came in to check on Vivian. I-i found a man on top of her!" Kate made sure her voice cracked.

"Alright, can you describe him?" He said calmly.

Kate shook her head, sending blonde curls flying, "No, he was...wearing a...sex suit! I screamed and he ran off!"

"Stay here." The black man commanded as he started searching the house. Kate whispered soothing words to Vivian, who was shaking like a leaf until he returned. "I couldn't find any sign of him. He must have run off, but there's a smell of gun powder in your bedroom. Would you ladies care to explain that?"

Kate forced a blush to her cheeks and reached into her purse, pulling out her gun with the grip of an unexperienced gun handler. She bit on her bottom lip, "I might have shot at him. I was just so scared, it went off. I missed." He took the gun cautiously from her and she rambled on, trying to add innocence to her facade, "It's registered, I have a permit too, but I'm not a wonderful shot." He snorted, checking the clip, "My husband just wanted me to have some protection. He's always so worried about me." She gave a nervous giggle, "I had to convince him that I was fine coming here on my own. He's not going to let me out of the house for the next week."

He just looked at Vivian, "Are you alright?" She nodded numbly, and he looked at Kate, "I don't think she needs to be alone tonight."

"I'll take her to my house." Kate offered.

He nodded slowly, "Alright, I'll follow you there." He called city officers who took their statements, and then Kate ushered Vivian to her car, ignoring the fact that the other woman's dead daughter was standing in the upstairs window, banging on the glass.

She had glimpsed Violet Harmon in the living room when she had visited earlier in the day and had known that the girl was dead. That was yet another subject she needed to broach with Tate. She called Collin and told him they would be having a guest, giving him a brief description of the situation she had concocted. Vivian had yet to say a word.

When they pulled up outside her house, Brian was out in an instant. "Kate, are you alright? Collin said there was a break in. Did that man hurt you?" He wrapped his arms around her as she assured him that it was her friend that had been attacked. Brian had shaken the security guard's hand after that, "Thank you for making sure she got home safe. Kate needs to learn that she has to take better care of herself now." He had gone back to Kate, burying a hand in her hair, "My brave girl. Don't make me worry like that again." He kissed her forehead and ushered her and Vivian into the house.

Collin embraced Kate when she entered, "Mom!"

She grunted, and he let her go. He held out a hand to Vivian, "Hello, I'm Collin. You must be Vivian Harmon. It's a real pleasure to meet you. Although it could be upon better circumstances." Vivian took his hand and gave him a handshake similar to gripping a wet noodle. He kept smiling any way, "I've set up the guest room for you. There's still boxes everywhere, but the old man and I put clean sheets on the bed. Would you like to rest?"

Vivian lifted her eyes from the beige carpet, looking at the three Thomas's, "Thank you."

Kate smiled kindly, "It's no problem. Collin is right though, you should go rest. We'll talk about everything in the morning, promise."

They set her up in their guest bedroom, and Kate sat with her until she fell asleep. It was well past three in the morning. Collin was leaning against the wall outside the door. "How is she?"

"She's strong." Kate said, "I think I caught all of it early enough. She'll be fine. You have to do something for me though." Collin tensed and she stroked his hair to calm him. "Her daughter, Violet, is stuck in the house. I need you to go take care of her."

"Will I have to go to school tomorrow still?" Collin asked, desperately not wanting to.

Kate shook her head, but smiled wryly, "No, I'll leave a message at the school. I guess another week wouldn't hurt."

"Sweet!" He said, grabbing a black hoodie from a box in his room and his shoulder bag he kept stocked for emergencies. "Do you have any idea where her body is?"

Kate shook her head, brushing a kiss on his cheek, "Be careful, Collin, and watch out for Tate. Also, I don't think Violet knows she's dead."

"Meh, won't be a problem. I'll just have to snoop around a little for her." As he walked out of the little house, Kate heard him speak to himself, "Violet. That's a pretty name."

Collin walked to the house, not willing to bother with his bike or his mom's car. Breaking into the house wasn't any trouble. He was particularly good at breaking and entering, and with no one inside that would call the police, it was almost easy. He could feel the death in the house like a warm, bloody blanket that settled over him. It was both alarming an comforting, leaving him a bit unsettled.  
>A young woman with brown hair stepped in front of him, "Are you lost, little boy? I'm Hayden."<p>

He could tell that she was newly dead, not the most recent casualty, but still, recent. She got closer to him, looking him up and down as she pulled her shirt down a little, trying to draw all of his attention. He laughed at her, "I'm not interested, but thanks. I'm flattered. Now go away." She vanished as told and he shook the arm she had touched, "Nasty bitch."

He found Violet looking out the upstairs window. She spun around when she heard him. "Who are you?" She yelled.

He held out his hands in a manner very similar to how his mother had done to her's, "Relax, I'm not going to hurt you. My mom wanted me to come make sure you were alright. She forget Vivian had a daughter until we were home. Your mom was pretty shaken up. She's hardly said anything." He tilted his head at her in a way that made him look like a puppy, "Are you okay?"

Something about him was familiar. It might have been something around his eyes, "Do I know you?" She said, sitting down and pulling her knee up to her chin.

He laughed softly, "'Fraid not. I think we're going to be going to the same school now though. That should be fun. I'll know someone now."

"I haven't been to school in a while." Violet said.

He shrugged, "I'm not judging, we all have our dislikes. I'm Collin by the way."

"Violet." She answered sharply, "But I bet you already knew that."

"Yes, I did, but..." He peered at her, "you want to know what I think?"

"What?" She said, still looking out the window.

"I think you're really lovely. Would you mind if I drew a sketch of you? Just a quick one to take up time. Our parents are coming back here later." He was already imagining how she would look drawn on paper.  
>She looked uncertain, but finally nodded. He pulled his sketch pad from his bag and sat across from her.<p>

She arched an eyebrow, "You just happened to have that with you?"

He smiled, and pinched his eyes shut as he did so, "I'm an artist. I'm always prepared. Now just get comfortable and then stay still."

She got a little ruffled by his bossy tone, but settled back into her chair anyway, putting her chin on her knee again. "This good?"

"Perfect. Now, why haven't you been to school?" He asked conversationally.

Violet looked at him darkly, "I thought you weren't going to judge me."

He held up both hands, "I'm not, I'm just...curious."

She sighed, "Sorry, I'm just in a mood. And about school, I just haven't wanted to go. The other kids are douches. It's not like my parents have noticed anyway."

"That's their loss." He said, looking from his sketch and back to Violet, determined to do her justice. "My mom hardly ever leaves me alone. Although I deserve it now."

"What did you do?" Violet asked, curious.

"I stole stuff. I didn't want any of it, but I just wanted to prove to myself I could get away with it. Of course that ended when my mom found a stolen school computer under my bed. She made me take everything back the same way I got it out. So I didn't get in trouble with the cops." He stayed silent for a few minutes, focusing on his art before finishing his story, "I broke into my math teacher's house though. He caught me, and called my mom instead of the police. They worked stuff out, and then we moved."

"Is that how you got into my house? You broke in." Violet stated.

Collin nodded with a wince, "Yeah, sorry about that." They sat in another amicable silence for another stretch of time, "So, your mom's pregnant?"

Violet rolled her eyes. "Yeah. But she and my dad hate each other, so the baby is just delaying the inevitable. So your mom seems all here at least."

"She wasn't always. My parents are always here for me, but I just get so fucking bored." He looked at her like he wanted to consume her, one she had only ever seen from Tate, "I expect I won't be too bored here though, not with you and my new half sibling."

* * *

><p>Would anyone be too angry if I made this VioletCollin? It's an idea I've been playing with. Let me know what you think!

If you have any questions or comments just let me know! Have a wonderful Friday and Happy Holidays! Please review!

-Jenn


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